Edoardo (Shoryu) Eusepi: Narcissism and Ritual

Shoryu Eddie Eusepi talks about how rituals, Zen and otherwise, can subvert our narcissistic tendencies. When we participate in rituals we engage with others in movements of reciprocity. In this sense, there is a socio-political dimension to ritual. Ritual can teach us how to create a world based not on getting what we want and defending it at all costs but on the realization that the way we treat others is the way we treat ourselves. Ritual and ceremony can work against spiritually materialistic projects of “self-realization” and turn our gazes outwards, re-enchanting the world and fostering communities of love.